Childhood Education articles from June 2009

Childhood Education archives from June 2009

Allophilia: moving beyond tolerance in the classroom.
June 22, 2009... Students in most classrooms are different in many ways--gender, class, sexual preference, ethnic group, religion, nationality, language, ability, maturity, and so on. School is one of the primary means by which young people meet others who are...

Read my dance: promoting early writing through dance: the 2008 Annual Theme issue of Childhood Education, guest edited by Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett and Lilia DiBello, examined the topic of school readiness and Pre-K programs. We revisit that theme with this research study.(Report)
June 22, 2009... Teacher Kate: "Henry, come see the new stamps and markers at the writing table. Let's write a story together." Henry: "I can't." (Running off.) "The Bad Guys are coming and I have to make a fort." This fairly typical exchange between a...

Interdisciplinary literacy unit: transformation of Italian folklore through shadow theater. Pinocchio, Son of Leonardo, Survivor of Vesuvius: a strong body of research supports the common-sense assumption that by teaching interdisciplinary curriculum, concepts become more relevant to students.
June 22, 2009... "The tale is not beautiful if nothing is added to it" --Tuscan proverb In the summer of 2007, we had the opportunity to lead a group of Hofstra University students, pre- and inservice, undergraduate and graduate, elementary and art...

An intriguing link between drawing and play with toys.(Report)
June 22, 2009... Young children are most attracted to classroom centers that offer the lively social interaction of play, stimulating construction activities, or animated computer programs. Efforts to create an attractive art center with abundant shelves of...

Families as decision-makers: when researchers and advocates work together.(Essay)
June 22, 2009... Families across the United States must routinely make difficult choices about child care arrangements because of the need to resume a job, continue an education or training program, or care for other family members. Leaving children in the care...

Picture this: using photography as a learning tool in early childhood classrooms.
June 22, 2009... Pictures not only say a thousand words but also can help teach thousands of words, as well as many other skills, when they are used effectively in early childhood classrooms. Photographs, like book illustrations, allow children to see things...

Pedagogies of absence: education beyond an ethos of standardization.(issues in education)(Essay)
June 22, 2009... Organizing curriculum and instruction in PK-12 public schools in relation to standardization practices presents us with the inherent paradox of limiting education to that which is already known and anticipated. Prescriptive standards,...

The impact of teachers' expectations on diverse learners' academic outcomes.(review of research)(Report)
June 22, 2009... Some research studies indicate that a content knowledge gap exists between minority and non-minority children, especially young children from poor families. One factor contributing to this problem may be that teachers expect minority children...

More than just storybooks: promoting emergent literacy skills in the home.(For Parents Particularly)(Report)
June 22, 2009... The home environment provides children with their first literacy experiences. Parents are thus well-placed to facilitate the development of emergent literacy skills in their children before formal reading and writing begins at school. These...

Putting the cart before the horse: the role of a socio-moral atmosphere in an inquiry-based curriculum.(teaching strategies)
June 22, 2009... The teacher bundles up against the last throes of winter, preparing to supervise the final recess of the day. Her students gather around a shrinking mound of snow and begin to pack snowballs to create one last snowman. Arguments ensue,...

Bunting, Eve: The Man with the Red Bag.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Bunting, Eve THE MAN WITH THE RED BAG. ISBN 978-0-06-081835-7. New York: Joanna Cotler Books, 2007. 230 pp. $16.89. What would you do if you saw a suspicious-looking man boarding the same tour bus as you? What would you do if this same man...

DeGross, Monalisa: Donavan's Double Trouble.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... DeGross, Monalisa DONAVAN'S DOUBLE TROUBLE. II. by Amy Bates. ISBN 978-0-06-077294-9. New York: Amistad, 2008. 180 pp. $16.89. Donavan's world is turning upside down. To this 4th-grader, nothing about school seems to be any good: his math...

Diakite, Baba Wague: Mee-An and the Magic Serpent.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Diakite, Baba Wague MEE-AN AND THE MAGIC SERPENT. Il. by author. ISBN 10:0-88899-719-1. Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, 2007. 30 pp. $16.95. This West African folktale tells the story of the beautiful Mee-An and her quest to...

Kimmel, E. A.: The Three Cabritos.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Kimmel, E. A. THE THREE CABRITOS. Il. by Stephen Gilpin. ISBN 978-0-7614-5343-7. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2007. 29pp. $16.99. Readers will recognize The Three Cabritos as a variation of the children's classic Three Billy Goats Gruff,...

Leedy, Loreen: Crazy Like A Fox: A Simile Story.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Leedy, Loreen CRAZY LIKE A FOX: A Simile Story. II. by author. ISBN 978-0-8234-1719-3. New York: Holiday House, 2008. 32 pp. $16.95. Leedy's cleverly written book introduces readers to the craft of similes in telling the hilarious story of...

Myers, Tim: The Furry-Legged Teapot.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Myers, Tim THE FURRY-LEGGED TEAPOT. I1. by Robert McGuire. ISBN 978-0-7614-5295-9. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2007. 32 pp. $16.99. This story is a re-telling of a Japanese folktale. Yoshi is a young tanuki, a Japanese raccoon-dog with...

Myers, Walter Dean: Game.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Myers, Walter Dean GAME. ISBN 978-0-06-058294-4. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. 224 pp. $17.89. It's basketball season, senior year. This book focuses on the second half of the season, the important hall when the top players are being watched...

Sanchez, Anita: The Invasion of Sandy Bay.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Sanchez, Anita THE INVASION OF SANDY BAY. ISBN 1590785606. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek Books, 2008. 200 pp. $16.95. To 12-year-old Lemuel Brooks, his new home in Sandy Bay, Massachusetts, had "none of the things that made life interesting."...

Turner, Ann: Sitting Bull Remembers.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Turner, Ann SITTING BULL REMEMBERS. II. by Wendell Minor. ISBN 978-0-06-051400-6. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. 32 pp. $17.89. Ann Turner combines historical fiction and factual information to tell the story of Sitting Bull and the Sioux...

Andreadis, Ianna: Sun Stone Days/Tonaltin/ Dias De Piedra.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Andreadis, Ianna SUN STONE DAYS/TONALTIN/ DIAS DE PIEDRA. II. by author. English text by Elisa Amado. Sun Stone illustration by Felipe Davalos. ISBN 0-88899-729. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books. 48pp. $8.95. Sun Stone Days is an introduction to...

Bauer, Marion Dane: A Mama For Owen.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Bauer, Marion Dane A MAMA FOR OWEN. Il. by John Butler. ISBN 0-689-85787-X. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. 30 pp. $15.99. This nonfiction story is about a young hippopotamus who frolics in Kenya's Sabaki River with his mother, father,...

Lourie, Peter: On The Texas Trail of Cabeza De Vaca.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Lourie, Peter ON THE TEXAS TRAIL OF CABEZA DE VACA. ISBN 978-1-59078-492-1. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2008. 48 pp. $17.95. Five hundred years after de Vaca completed his journey from Florida to Mexico, Peter Lourie follows the...

Weill, Cynthia: Abecedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Weill, Cynthia ABECEDARIOS: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish. Photographed by K. B. Basseches. Sculptures by Moises and Armando Jimenez. ISBN 978-1933693132. Cinco Puntos Press, 2008. 32 pp. $14.95. Take a walk on the wild side with...

Foxworthy, Jeff: Dirt On My Shirt.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Foxworthy, Jeff DIRT ON MY SHIRT. Il. by Steve Bjorkman. ISBN 978-0061208461. New York: HarperCollins. 2008.32 pp. $16.99. Jeff Foxworthy, the famous comedian, has written a book of poems that are great fun to share with the children in your...

Prelutsky, Jack: My Dog May Be A Genius.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... Prelutsky, Jack MY DOG MAY BE A GENIUS. Il. by James Stevenson. ISBN 978-0-06-623863-0. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2008. 159pp. $19.89. Prelutsky is the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate, so a reader expects--and receives--quality....

Already Ready: Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... ALREADY READY: Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten. Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008. 240 pp. Paperback, $24.50. This book describes ways to help young writers at the preschool and kindergarten levels....

Teaching as an Act of Love: Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal and Kid.(Book review)
June 22, 2009... TEACHING AS AN ACT OF LOVE: Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal and Kid. Richard Lakin. New York: iUniverse, Inc., 2007. 231 pp. Paperback, $19.95. In this book, Lakin recounts his insights from a 35-year career as a...

How To Write.(Book review)
June 22, 2009... HOW TO WRITE. Alastair Fowler. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. 188 pp. $9.95. We live in a world that is faster and more complex than ever before. Not only does the world change, we also change. Where is the place for writing in this...

American Public Education Law.(Book review)
June 22, 2009... AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION LAW. David C. Bloomfield. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2007. 160 pp. Paperback, $18.95. This practical five-chapter book is, as stated in the title, a primer on American public education law. The first chapter does...

Ready For Preschool.(Book review)
June 22, 2009... READY FOR PRESCHOOL. Nancy B. Hertzog. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, 2008. 198 pp. Paperback, $16.95. Ready for Preschool provides specific guidance on how parents can facilitate their children's readiness for preschool. Hertzog's introductory...

Teaching With Your Heart: Lessons I Learned From the Freedom Writers.(Book review)
June 22, 2009... TEACHING WITH YOUR HEART: Lessons I Learned From the Freedom Writers. Erin Gruwell. New York: Broadway Books, 2008. 272 pp. Paperback, $13.95. This seems to be the age of memoirs--with many making bestseller lists weekly. We might add to the...

Helping Students Overcome Depression and Anxiety: A Practical Guide (2nd ed.).(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... HELPING STUDENTS OVERCOME DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY: A Practical Guide (2nd ed.). Kenneth W. Merrell. New York: The Guilford Press, 2008. 265 pp. $36.00. This practical guide discusses various techniques that mental health professionals can use,...

Interactive whiteboards: creating higher-level, technological thinkers?(technology in the classroom)(Essay)
June 22, 2009... A group of my preservice teachers recently observed a middle school social studies teacher teaching geography in an urban school in Texas. The teacher, who emphasized inquiry learning, assigned groups of middle school students to work together...

Quality Counts 2009: Portrait of a Population: How English Language Learners are Putting Schools to the Test.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... QUALITY COUNTS 2009: Portrait of a Population: How English Language Learners Are Putting Schools to the Test. (2009). Education Week. For the last 13 years, Education Week has released annual report cards that track states' education policies...

The Best Children's Books of the Year.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR. (2008). Children's Book Committee, Bank Street College of Education. New York: Teachers College Press. Every year, the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education issues an annotated...

Beginning Literacy and your Child: A Guide To Helping Your Baby or Preschooler Become a Reader.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... BEGINNING LITERACY AND YOUR CHILD: A Guide To Helping Your Baby or Preschooler Become a Reader. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. 4 pp. The International Reading Association (IRA) offers publications specifically for parents and...

Shining Stars--Kindergartners Learn to Read.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... SHINING STARS--Kindergartners Learn To Read. (2007). National Institute for Literacy, the Partnership for Literacy. 5pp. This booklet is just one of many publications by the U.S. National Institute for Literacy, a federal agency that provides...

Developing Oral Language Skills in a Child.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2009... DEVELOPING ORAL LANGUAGE SKILLS IN A CHILD. Anchorage and Juneau, AK: Alaska Parent Information and Resource Center. 4 pp. The Alaska Parent Information and Resource Center works in partnership with school districts and other agencies...

Everyone's Invited: Interactive Strategies That Engage Young Adolescents.(Book review)
June 22, 2009... EVERYONE'S INVITED: Interactive Strategies That Engage Young Adolescents. (2008). Spencer, Jill. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association. This text is a practical, hands-on resource written by a 30-year middle school teacher, Jill...

A few snapshots of conference highlights: children at the crossroads: educating all to move forward.(Brief article)(Conference notes)
June 22, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tunde Szecsi (middle), winner of ACEI's first Adviser of the Year award, poses with members of her student chapter, Eagles Educate ACEI (Florida Gulf Coast University). Karen Liu, Past President, passes the gavel...

Teacher, where are you?(From the Executive Director)(teacher absenteeism)
June 22, 2009... We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. --Cynthia Ozick While touring a school in a rural village in India, I entered a very small classroom. There were no windows and the room was very dark. When a...

In the bullring with a foreign language--ole!(Vice President's Vista)
June 22, 2009... I expect too much from my instructor. I have to overlook his ability and attitudes towards language acquisition and instruction. It's my first day of class--a real intensive tutoring session-and I am so scared. I feel as if I am back in the 3rd...

ACEI elects new executive board member.(Chen Christine of the Association for Childhood Education International)
June 22, 2009... The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is pleased to announce the election of Christine Chen to the Executive Board position of Member-at-Large. (2) Since joining the association in 2001, Chen has been an active member and...

Distinguished Educator named to the ACEI Roll of Honor.(ACEI Commemorates)(Maxine M. Dunfee)(Association for Childhood Education International)
June 22, 2009... ACEI members honored the memory of educator Maxine M. Dunfee by having her name inscribed on the ACEI Roll of Honor, and adding her name to the Book of Remembrances. Fellow colleagues from Indiana ACEI nominated Dunfee for this lasting tribute....

West Tennessee ACEI Chapter: 2008 Fall Conference.(Chapters in Action)(Association for Childhood Education International)
June 22, 2009... "Children, STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN!" the teacher voices and models as she crosses the road. The students watch attentively and respond back to her. On Saturday, September 27, 2008, at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, more than 200...

Story letters.(Classroom Idea-Sparkers)(teaching children's literature)
June 22, 2009... This Idea-Sparker was submitted by Kathy R. Fox. Children's literature is a significant segment of the book market, and includes authors with household names like Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. Even celebrities are in on the fun, with their own...

Chapter happenings at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.(Chapters in Action)(Association for Childhood Education International)(Brief article)
June 22, 2009... The year 2008 was a great one for ACEI at the University of Central Florida! Along with another set of successful professional development sessions, a bake sale, and a school supply drive, we have also celebrated phenomenal teachers around...

Nancy Bartlett Hitch Student Scholarship Award.(ACEI Awards)(Ekaterina Strekalova of State University of New York at Buffalo)
June 22, 2009... The Nancy Bartlett Hitch Student Scholarship Award ($300) is presented to deserving students to gain additional opportunities for personal and professional growth. The award honors both those who have made outstanding contributions to the...

Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award.(ACEI Awards)(Association for Childhood Education International)
June 22, 2009... The Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award ($300) is presented to students who have shown evidence of leadership and participation in professional, social, school, and civic activities; interest in teaching or child-related occupations;...

Did "The Beaver" question my authority? Helping children learn about respect.(Peace Education Network)(televison program Leave It to Beaver)
June 22, 2009... In trying to make sense of how to navigate the duality of approaches to how children learn respect toward others--the "takes a village" community-oriented approach (that includes teachers) or the "I know my child best/go it alone" family...

Achieving the impossible.(Student Slant)
June 22, 2009... As an emerging educator, you will most likely find yourself working in a 'difficult school during your first few years. Typically, yours will be the class of students with the most behavior problems. You will have a large class of students with...

We're seeking stories of your summer adventures.(Memberandum)(Brief article)
June 22, 2009... Synonymous with vacation--even if it's just a week or a weekend--summer is traditionally a time for educators to reflect on the lessons of the school year, to refresh, and to recharge. How will you spend your summer? If your plans include...

2009 ACEI chapter recognition. Award winners presented at annual conference and exhibition.(ACEI Awards)(Association for Childhood Education International)
June 22, 2009... Tunde Szecsi Honored as Adviser of the 'fear Tunde Szecsi is the winner of ACEI's first Adviser of the Year award. The Adviser of the Year Award is presented to a distinguished student chapter adviser. This award is based on a faculty...